A council is set to renew its war on To Let boards.

In summer 2018, Leciester council brought into effect a new Regulation 7 Direction which effectively banned the use of To Let boards in some areas of the city, close to the University of Leicester and De Montfort University.

It means that landlords and agents needed to apply for planning consent to put up signs advertising properties for rent in four specific parts of the city; if they failed to comply, they could face court action and be fined up to £2,500.

The current legal direction is due to expire in July and the council is planning to apply for this to renewed. A consultation process has just started.

Deputy city mayor Piara Singh Clair says: “Prior to bringing these new powers into effect, many people who lived close to the universities were concerned about the almost permanent proliferation of To Let boards on their streets.

“Since the direction was implemented, there has been a significant reduction in illegally displayed To Let boards which has led to an improvement in the appearance of the affected areas. We don’t want to see the advertising boards becoming an eyesore in these areas again and hope to renew the legal powers which have helped us to successfully tackle the problem.”

Councils can apply for powers to control the display of To Let boards under Regulation 7 of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007.

Leicester City Council submitted its bid for the Regulation 7 direction in October 2016, following a public consultation on the proposal. The bid was confirmed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in February 2018.